Location and Venue
The conference was hosted by the Abbe Center of Photonics at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany.
Photonics meets AI
The conference “Jena LIGHT – Photonics meets AI” took place at the Abbe Center of Photonics of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena:
Abbe Center of Photonics
Albert Einstein Strasse 6
07745 Jena
Germany
Abbe Centers of Photonics of the University
Image: Jan-Peter Kasper (University of Jena)The Abbe Center of Photonics (ACP) is the academic center of scientific activities in the fields of optics and photonics at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany. Research and education in photonics is conducted in joint cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute Jena, the Helmholtz Institute Jena, the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, and the Deutsches Optisches Museum (D.O.M.). In the last years, ACP has become one of the leading European centers for research and education in optics and photonics as well as in the development and transfer of optical technologies. ACP is strongly engaged in young-career scientists' education via its integrated Abbe School of Photonics and sustains strong links with local industry partners as well as with the international scientific community.
Light installation at Ernst-Abbe-Platz in Jena
Image: Jan-Peter Kasper (University of Jena)Jena is a vibrant and fast-growing hub for the high-tech industry. With international players setting up, the city is internationally known as Germany’s “Optics Valley.” The secret of Jena’s success is rooted in its heritage as the cradle of Europe’s optical and photonics industry. Carl Zeiss, the world-famous lens and camera producer, began his pioneering work here in 1846. More than a century later, after the reunification of Germany in 1990, the internationally renowned company ZEISS re-established its base in Jena. The city is also home to iconic glass manufacturer Schott and global photonics manufacturer Jenoptik.
For a small university city in Germany, with a population of just 100,000, Jena is attracting a lot of international attention. Companies such as US global manufacturing services group Jabil Circuit, Israel’s technology group Orbotech and Switzerland’s ground-breaking engineering group Feintool have invested strategically in the region, which has enjoyed unprecedented growth in the last years. Today in 2024, more than 100 companies dedicated about optical and photonic technologies, many of them “Hidden Champions” and global players within their specific portfolio, have rendered Jena a famous high-tech location in the center of Germany which is unique concerning its sheer density of enthusiasts and experts in optics and photonics.